Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network

​Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network
The manatee rescued from Texas City has been successfully rehabilitated and returned to the wild in Florida!
The manatee was rescued in December 2021 by the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, SeaWorld San Antonio, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas State Aquarium, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Galveston Bay Foundation,, and Texas authorities and transported to SeaWorld San Antonio for rehabilitation.
Members of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP) – SeaWorld Orlando, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Clearwater Marine Aquarium Institute (CMARI), and Dauphin Island Sea Lab – worked together to return the manatee to Kings Bay in Crystal River yesterday morning.
In this case, SeaWorld San Antonio stepped up to provide care for this manatee throughout his 8-month rehabilitation.
Upon rescue, the manatee was found suffering from cold stress, flipper damage, severe weight loss, and other ailments in Texas waters.
While manatees are typically known to reside in Florida, seasonal migrations to other southern states have increased in recent years. This is only the fourth manatee in Texas to have been rehabilitated and returned to the wild.
This demonstrates the importance of reporting all manatee sightings in Texas to 1-800-9MAMMAL so that we can monitor and track their condition.
Great job by all partners pulling together to rescue and return this manatee to the wild!